Building on the success of the renewed Increasing Diversity in Mathematical & Related Sciences (IDMS) summer school, which took place at Dalhousie University from July 29 – August 2, the Canadian Mathematics Research Institutes are seeking proposals for the 2025 and 2026 summer schools.
The IDMS program is a joint venture between the Atlantic Association for Research in the Mathematical Science (AARMS), the Banff International Research Station (BIRS), The Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM), The Fields Institute for Research in the Mathematical Sciences and the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) with a goal to increase participation of women and other underrepresented minority groups at advanced levels in the mathematical sciences. The usual focus of the school will be on increasing the numbers of the target group who succeed in the transition from undergraduate to graduate education.
The Institutes are soliciting proposals from groups of faculty to run the program in Summer 2025 and Summer 2026 (which will be hosted by BIRS). At the recently completed program in Dalhousie, the school was targeted at people who identify as women; in Summer 2025, we are looking for proposals that target a different underrepresented minority group. The 2026 school could be either, depending on the proposals received.
The proposal should describe the group of desired participants and the program the organizers wish to create, including mathematical topics, career development and the names of potential lecturers. The organizers should consider the location and facilities for the hosting participants.
The cost of running the program for 25 students is expected to be approximately $60,000 per year. This includes $1,000 per student for travel and $1,000 per student for accommodation. Instructors’ travel and accommodation will also be paid, and there is a small amount for supplies and social events. These are all approximate costs, but the proposal should include a budget. The Institutes have collectively committed $28,000 as seed money for the program and will help with trying to get further funding.
If you are interested in creating an IDMS summer school at your institution for the 2025 cohort, please contact Deirdre Haskell (dhaskell@fieldsinstitute.ca) or Kasra Rafi (krafi@fieldsinstitute.ca) for more information. Proposals for the 2026 cohort should be submitted directly to BIRS (birs-administrator@birs.ca).